]]>1Broncos Make Roster Moveshttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2018/09/broncos-make-roster-moves
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2018/09/broncos-make-roster-moves#commentsSat, 01 Sep 2018 23:53:14 +0000https://www.profootballrumors.com/?p=117161The Broncos have trimmed their roster to 53 players by making the following moves:

]]>2AFC Notes: Patriots, Amendola, Broncos, Brownshttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2018/04/afc-notes-patriots-amendola-broncos-browns
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2018/04/afc-notes-patriots-amendola-broncos-browns#commentsSat, 14 Apr 2018 16:49:26 +0000https://www.profootballrumors.com/?p=103771Similar to many draft pundits, BillBelichick is also participating in his own mock drafts. Yesterday, the Patriots head coach provided some insight into the organization’s draft preparation to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.

“Sometimes we do that, yeah,” Belichick said about mock drafts. “I’d say sometimes it just sparks a conversation. We might internally say, ‘OK, how about Player A and Player B? Player B and Player C?’ And if you did a mock draft where kind of each [staffer] has a team and, ‘OK, it’s your turn. You pick this.’ And now you look at the board, it’s our turn to pick, and ‘Gee, here’s a scenario we hadn’t really thought about. We hadn’t really pictured that this guy would be there.’ So that can kind of stimulate some [conversation].”

Belichick also explained the risks of not evaluating many of the potential prospects.

“Again, it’s just an exercise to, I’d say, just kind of complete the process of preparation,” he explained. “That’s the way it is on draft day, too. A lot of times you’re sitting there looking at players that I thought this player would be there and he’s long gone, or I didn’t think this player would be there and he’s still there…If you haven’t done enough work on the player and he’s still there but you really don’t know the player as well as you should because you thought he wouldn’t be there, then that puts you in a little bit of a dilemma.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes out of the AFC…

Wide receiver DannyAmendola told ESPN’s Mike Reiss that the Patriots‘ offer didn’t come close to the two-year, $12MM ($8.25MM guaranteed) deal he took with the Dolphins. “I came in with an open mind,” Amendola said. “I understand Bill runs a tight ship, and he hasn’t been known to pay his players, really. I understood that I gave money back to him so I could play for him and play for my teammates and fulfill my side of the contract, and at the end of the day, I had faith that he was going to give me an opportunity to stay. When free agency broke, I came to the realization that he wasn’t going to really come close to any of the other offers I had. I had to make a decision for my family and go down to Miami and continue my career there.”

The BroncosclaimedC.J.Smith from the Browns yesterday, and Mike Klis of 9News in Denver writes that the team has had interest in the cornerback for some time. The organization had been eyeing Smith since his days at North Dakota State, and they expressed interest in him when he wasn’t selected during the 2016 draft. The 24-year-old initially joined the Eagles before signing with the Browns’ practice squad.

The Browns have named LarryJackson as their new head of strength and conditioning, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Jackson had previously served as Texas A&M’s director of football sports performance, and he also served as the school’s NFL liaison. He’ll be replacing AdamBeard, who will stick around the organization in an advisory role. The Browns have also added DaleJones and MontyGibson as assistants, and they’ve retained EvanMarcus and JoshChristovich.

Smith, 25 in May, spent most of the year on the Browns’ practice squad. Towards the end of the year, he earned a promotion to the varsity squad and was on the roster for the final three regular season games.

The Broncos are well set as far as first string cornerbacks go with Bradley Roby and Chris Harris Jr. set to start. Smith will compete to be one of the team’s reserve CBs in a group that presently includes Tramaine Brock, Brendan Langley, Marcus Rios, and Michael Hunter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

]]>0Browns Cut TE Gavin Escobarhttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2018/04/browns-gavin-escobar-cut
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2018/04/browns-gavin-escobar-cut#commentsThu, 12 Apr 2018 18:53:43 +0000https://www.profootballrumors.com/?p=103583The Browns are trimming down the roster in advance of the draft. On Thursday, Cleveland announced that seven players have been cut. Here’s the full rundown:

Escobar, 27, never lived up his to second-round draft status with the Cowboys. In four seasons with Dallas, he managed just 30 receptions for 333 yards. He inked a minimum salary benefit contract with the Chiefs in March of 2017, but did not make the final cut. He later hooked on with the Ravens, but he did not record an official statistic in his two games with the club.

Bullough spent three years with the Texans and appeared in 29 games with the club between 2015 and 2016. In the summer of 2017, the Texans released him after he was hit with a PED suspension. After his release, the NFL hit the linebacker with another four-game ban. The Michigan State product has not seen the field since Week 17 of the ’16 season.

]]>7Browns/Seahawks C.J. Smith Trade Cancelledhttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2018/03/seahawks-browns-cj-smith-trade-cancelled
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2018/03/seahawks-browns-cj-smith-trade-cancelled#commentsThu, 22 Mar 2018 21:54:18 +0000https://www.profootballrumors.com/?p=101336C.J. Smith won’t be going to the Seahawks after all. Seattle acquired the cornerback in a trade earlier this week, but that swap has been nullified, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Smith failed a physical upon arriving in Seattle, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. The trade saw only a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft going to Cleveland, so it’s not a major loss for the Browns.

Smith, 25 in May, spent most of the year on the Browns’ practice squad. Towards the end of the year, he earned a promotion to the varsity squad and was on the roster for the final three regular season games.

The Seahawks were in need of some depth at cornerback after releasing Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane, prompting the Smith trade. The cancelled deal may push the Seahawks to re-sign Byron Maxwell, who is still a free agent.

The 24-year-old was originally signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent by the Eagles in 2016 out of North Dakota State. He appeared in 10 games with the Eagles as a rookie. Smith was signed to the Browns’ practice squad early last season and was activated for the team’s final three regular-season games.

]]>8Browns Promote CB C.J. Smithhttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2017/12/browns-promote-cb-c-j-smith-waive-cb-darius-hillary
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2017/12/browns-promote-cb-c-j-smith-waive-cb-darius-hillary#respondSat, 16 Dec 2017 16:51:52 +0000https://www.profootballrumors.com/?p=87748The Browns have swapped one young defensive back for another. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the team has promoted cornerback C.J. Smith from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the Browns have waived cornerback Darius Hillary (via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com on Twitter).

Smith, a 2016 undrafted rookie out of North Dakota State, played in 10 games for the Eagles last season, compiling a single tackle. Prior to the current campaign, he was waived by Philly and quickly caught on with their practice squad, but he was released soon after. He subsequently caught on with Cleveland’s practice squad, where he’s spent the entire season. The 24-year-old will presumably slot in at the bottom of the Browns’ cornerback depth chart behind Jason McCourty, Jamar Taylor, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, and Mike Jordan.

Hillary has bounced between the Browns active roster and practice squad over the past two seasons. The Wisconsin product only appeared in a single game this season.

]]>2Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC Easthttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2017/09/sunday-nfl-transactions-nfc-east-2
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2017/09/sunday-nfl-transactions-nfc-east-2#respondSun, 03 Sep 2017 20:56:32 +0000https://www.profootballrumors.com/?p=77286Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, and Redskins are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s NFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Gerry was a fifth-round pick of the Eagles, so it’s a surprise to see that he did not make the cut. Then again, he had the tough task of converting from safety to linebacker this offseason, so the transition could take a little longer. He could be a candidate for the Eagles’ practice squad.

]]>1Eagles Promote CB C.J. Smithhttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/10/eagles-promote-cj-smith
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/10/eagles-promote-cj-smith#respondThu, 13 Oct 2016 13:13:27 +0000https://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=41187The Eagles announced that they have promoted C.J. Smith to the 53-man roster. In a related move, tight end Anthony Denham was signed to the practice squad.

By signing Smith, the Eagles once again have five cornerbacks on the roster. Nolan Carroll and Leodis McKelvin are Philly’s starters with Ron Brooks and Jalen Mills as backups. Smith will round out the group and presumably also pitch in on special teams.

]]>0Eagles’ Ertz, McKelvin Suffer Injurieshttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/09/eagles-zach-ertz-leodis-mckelvin-injured
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/09/eagles-zach-ertz-leodis-mckelvin-injured#respondMon, 12 Sep 2016 16:33:37 +0000https://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=37997We’re one game into the season and the Eagles are already a little bit banged up. Today, coach Doug Pederson told reporters that tight end Zach Ertz and cornerback Leodis McKelvin are both week-to-week after suffering injuries (Twitter link via Eagles’ team account). Ertz suffered an especially painful-sounding injury as one of his ribs has displaced itself under his collarbone. McKelvin, meanwhile, has a hamstring strain that could sideline him for multiple games.

Ertz, the 35th overall pick in the 2013 draft, is coming off a career year in which he caught 75 passes for 853 yards in 2015. This offseason, he was rewarded with a lucrative extension that should keep him in Philly through the 2021 season. On Sunday against the Browns, Ertz caught six of his seven targets for 58 yards. The Eagles have Brent Celek and Trey Burtonon the depth chart behind the 6’5″, 249 pound tight end.

In the case of McKelvin, the Eagles could simply promote from within by calling up C.J. Smith from the practice squad. Pederson acknowledge that as a possibility while also adding that the team will explore its options at cornerback if McKelvin has to miss significant time.